Entertainment centres & arcades

Paul Gauselmann opened the first Merkur-Spielothek in 1974 in Delmenhorst, Lower Saxony and thus invented the modern arcade. With a subsidiary founded in the same year, today's CASINO MERKUR-SPIELOTHEK GmbH, the entrepreneur continued to set new trends in the arcade sector throughout the following decades. Since then, ambience, products, staff and service have been the recipe for success for all entertainment centres operated under the laughing Merkur sun.

The arcades feature premium interior design concepts, which are developed exclusively for CASINO MERKUR-SPIELOTHEKEN by the company’s in-house design department. CASINO MERKUR-SPIELOTHEK has a second success factor, i.e. its products, and always offers guests a wide variety of the latest amusement with prizes machines (AWP) that provide thrilling gaming entertainment designed to meet gaming customers’ needs. CASINO MERKUR-SPIELOTHEK has always placed particular emphasis on the education and training of its employees. In addition to industry-specific professional Chamber of Commerce training courses as coin-op specialist (coin-op service section), the company also offers in-house education courses, such as in-service training to become a specialist in casino service (Chamber of Commerce approved) as well as regular product training. New branch managers are trained for their demanding roles in the flagship store in Espelkamp. First-class customer service is considered particularly important and allows the company to show itself in a highly positive light and set itself apart from the competition. In 2016, the company was voted a “Top National Employer” by the German news magazine Focus for the second time in a row – making CASINO MERKUR-SPIELOTHEK one of the top 1,000 employers in Germany. The company also successfully participated in the “Top Service Germany 2016” competition, which was organised by ServiceRating GmbH in collaboration with the Handelsblatt newspaper as media partner. Early in the year, the company was voted “most popular gaming arcade” by Focus Money. The fact that CASINO MERKUR-SPIELOTHEK is known for first-class service was testified in a nationwide service ranking by the daily newspaper Die Welt, in which CASINO MERKURSPIELOTHEK was voted “Service Champion Bronze 2013” and Number 1 in the “Arcades” category.

Currently, CASINO MERKUR-SPIELOTHEK operates 250 modern arcades in Germany. A summary of international gaming venue ventures can be found in the CASINO MERKUR International section. The first international entertainment centre was opened in 1986. Merkur Casino GmbH was founded in 2005, in 2014 it was renamed CASINO MERKUR International. The company runs more than 200 entertainment centres in other European countries. Here, too, the emphasis is on a stylish ambience, the latest products and highly trained staff. Offers are tailored to the respective needs of the local markets.